Subliminal Messages
by shades of live
Summary: Pre-series one-shot. Just a quick idea I had, Please review.


Memorization had never been a favorite past time of Mouri Ran. Not to say she couldn't do it when absolutely necessary, but it was usually proceeded by an entire evening of cramming of the topic at hand. On this particular Thursday, she would find herself in just such a position. Sitting at her desk with an open textbook and weeks worth of notes before her, she'd take a moment to glance backwards at the young up-and-coming detective who had commandeered her bed for his own devices [which she noted by the Doyle book in his hands, had absolutely nothing to do with the history exam which they would be facing in the morning].

"It's just irritating when you do that." she would mumble, face turned just enough toward the boy so that he could catch a glimpse of her not-too-happy eyes.

"Do what?" Shinichi would ask, diverting his attention for a moment as he held his spot with a tumb and forefinger.

"You know what! I never see you study, yet you always seem to do better than anyone on these exams! Not that I'm jealous or anything, but it's just a little...well...I don't know..." she found she wasn't really sure what to add. Upon lisetening to herself it was made apparent that she _was _just a little jealous of her friend, and really shouldn't hold his attention to detail against him.

"Come on, Ran, it's history," He'd answer, moving his eyes back down to the page on his lap as he raised the book slightly for a better angle, "It hasn't changed in thousands of years, and it's not going to start now."

"So you're not the least bit worried about tomorrow? Sensei said it was going to be everything we've covered up to this point, and you know her tests! They're always very difficult, I barely got a 75 last time and she said that was an easy one."

To this, he would just give a curt shrug:

"No, not really...and you shouldn't be, either. I mean, half the answers you can deduce from the shoddy-wording of questions, and everything else is just repetition."

"Easy for you to say, detective."

"Hey, Watson learned the trick, there's hope for you, too." His smug beam was almost too much for her to take at the present, and with a displeased snort, she'd turn back to her notes and begin reading once more. He was right about one thing, at least, it was all about repetition...

The next morning started as nothing short of a blur. An array of mysterious cracking noises came from the petite body of the young girl as she stretched out over her desk with a few sleepy blinks of her eyes. In a moment, her tired form jolted up to her feet as she realized just what had happened: she had fallen asleep while studying.

Typical scenario to say the very least, but there were more than a few unanswered questions she had as she raced to get on her uniform and run out the door before she lost any more time. Not to mention, there was the small matter of a certain Kudo Shinichi who would be getting a piece of her mind later on in the day. That is, if she decided she was talking with him. Her mind raced as she tried to get her thoughts together among a sea of harsh thoughts directed toward her good friend: '_Seriously! Why __would he leave without waking her up? He knew just how important this exam was--'_

...and then it hit her. Ran realized she hadn't even begun reading the second half of her notes, and in that moment she realized she was done for. At that point, she had slipped into a state of complete and utter shock. So much to the point that Ran didn't even remember arriving at school, enterting the building or even getting to the classroom.

Slipping into her seat with only moments to catch her breath, she would release a heavy sigh in her best attempt to suppress a few tears. In her cloud of worry she would completely miss the rest of the class falling in and papers being handed out. For now, she was stuck in her own little bubble of absolute terror. So much to the point where she'd completely missed her test being placed before her and the time having begun.

Opening to the first page a shaky hand, Ran would reach for her pen as she glanced at the first question. She gasped in silent relief, quietly thinking she must have done something right. It seemed as though she was at least familiar all the questions on the first page. Writing her answers down with breath held, she continued to pray for a miracle as she turned the page...

"Ugh, that was horrendous! Takubo-sensei was right when she said that this was going to be the hardest exam of the year, I'm starting to think I only got my name right!" Suzuki Sonoko would complain to her closest friend. The exam had finished and the class now found themselves amidst a free period before their next subject was to begin. Glancing up at the other girl, Ran would blush slightly as she replied:

"Really? I thought she went really easy on it..."

"Easy?! Are you insane? I don't even remember some of that stuff being in the notes, and I actually studied for this one!" Sonoko's voice laced with absolute surprise at her friend's response.

"Well, I don't know what it was, but everything written there just seemed so familiar. Almost like I could finish the sentences in my head before I got to the answer blank." Ran's reply received nothing but a confused shrug from her friend:

"Maybe spending all that time with your husband is starting to do you some good, just look at him! He came in ten minutes late then slept through more than half of the test and I bet he _still_ gets top mark," Sonoko just smirked, "...I mean, look, he's still passed out!"

Sure enough Ran glanced in the familiar direction to see her childhood friend snoring gently at his seat, still so lost in the day's events that she didn't even bother to correct her friend on her spousal assumptions. It was as if he didn't even try to be coy about his actions, having his head planted firmly on his entangled arms, chest moving steadily up on down. Without warning, Ran narrowed her eyes as she stood abruptly, almost knocking Sonoko from her perch on the side of her desk as she made her way toward Shinichi's seat. Clearing her throat she would nudge him with a surplus of force almost knocking him down, leaving the poor young man in a daze as she turned his eyes up to meet hers.

"Oh, hey Ran."

"Hey Ran? Is that all you have to say? What happened to you last night?!" Her voice showing signs of anger, but above all, worry. Afterall, she hadn't really stopped to consider why her friend had up-and-left without so much as as word. Perhaps there was something wrong that she hadn't considered.

"Ah, about that... M-Megure-keibu called with a case and--"

"A case?" She'd cut him off with a huff and a slight stomp of her loafer, "Figures..." Crossing her arms she'd shake her head and turn toward her desk once more, leaving the young detective there to fully wake. Running a hand through his hair he'd close his eyes for a moment to consider the possibilities of what would become of him. Surely she'd just stop talking to him for the afternoon and no doubt forgive him by dinnertime. A fate, he decided, he could live with.

The remainder of the day flew by, teachers came and went, and before too long the pair of teenagers found themselves walking back home together in an uncomfortable silence. Shinichi would glance in her direction, and occasionally she's catch him doing so, turning her head to the opposite direction. Shinichi drew in a breath and sighed, allowing himself a small smile. Despite his constant quest for all things good and just, he reasoned some 'little white lies' were better than the whole truth. Some things, he thought, he wasn't quite ready to address just yet.

Kudo Shinichi cast his gaze to the ground as he thought on this further. It simply wasn't the right time. Afterall, how could he possibly explain that he'd spent a good 12 hours reading and re-reading his notes and textbook aloud to her while she slept [just to make sure she'd be in good form for the test]? It was his own fault he'd stayed at her place until 6am doing so, too, taking the time to add in the little tidbits of information to supplement the required material to the best of his knowledge: how would she even take that? She'd have questions. Questions which Shinichi wasn't quite ready to answer. Soon, but not just yet. Collecting his thoughts, he'd look up once again before speaking:

"Hey Ran..." He'd address her quietly, turning his head slightly to look at her. He could see her silently battle with herself as to whether answering was the thing to do before she lightly sighed and replied with a short:

"Yes, Shinichi?

"I'm sorry..." The young man's voice was completely sincere as he spoke, eyes soft and tone just even enough leave the slightest hint of in-completion to the sentence, '_I can't tell you the truth, yet.'_

The young teenager's features seemed to soften at this as she averted her eyes from him for a moment and nodded, the slightest hint of pink brushing her cheeks:

"You're forgiven, Shinichi." A small laugh came from her as she added, "...but only because it was an easy exam." He couldn't help but smile himself at her answer.

They'd continue their walk home in friendly conversation after that, the warm, comfort they'd both come to expect from one another. Only after a short break in the conversation, the young detective would lean over and prod his best friend:

"Ran, I'm starting to draw a blank...Moriarty and Holmes met their fate at Richenbach on May 4th, 18--"

"91!" She'd simply reply with a smile before her eyes shot open quickly in complete and total shock at her own response. Ran would cover her mouth with her hand as Shinichi began laughing heartily at her quick response,  
"Ugh! This just _proves_ you talk about Holmes too much!" She'd complain as her face grew bright red in sheer embarrassment.

Shinichi would do his best to suppress a wide grin as he thought to himself: '_I'll have to talk to Ran in her sleep more often...'_


End file.
